*Jaybee is walking down the street, doing a bit of window-shopping*Wait, is that...*He adjusts himself to blend into the crowd, while focusing on someone coming out of an electronics store*

Of all the silly coincidences... he came to us...

*flicks a comm channel open*Focker, do you copy?Mike: "We copy, Jay. What's up?"Tell Shara and Millia that I love them!Carol: "YES!"Shara: "Ummm, is he brain-damaged?"Millia: "Well, I dunno about you, but it's inevitable for me. Is this body hot or what?."Max: "H-hey! That's my WIFE you're talking about, buddy!"

Sorry, Mister Jenius. I meant that in a purely platonic, possibly grossly over-stated form. No offense intended. Carol: "Awww..."Geez, carol... just accept that you're the worst matchmaker in history and drop it.

Anyways... call Admiral Kridanik. Tell him target 17 is in Lovell City. I'm trailing him now.Mike: "You need any backup, Jay?"No, I can handle this. "You're sure? I know you guys have a hist-"Yes, I'm sure! Why does everyone keep asking that? Besides, if we send a team in, he may just fold out again. "All right. But call us if you need anything."I will. Again, my thanks to Shara and Millia. I wouldn't even be down here right now if it wasn't for meltrandi rage. Jaybee out.

*Jaybee sighs*Ya know, I've been following this guy for a while, and I'm not really sure how to go about capturing him, aside from relying on his overconfidence.

*He looks around at the park, thinking*Well, not many people here...It's open enough that he shouldn't feel threatened...I guess it's as good as I'm gonna get...

*He raises his voice*Doctor Rodriguez!

*The man turns around*"Oh, hello. I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

Likewise.

"Care to have a little chat?"

Not particularly. But I don't guess you're gonna stick around otherwise?

"Indeed. Why DO you people persist in trying to capture me? Haven't you realized it's impossible?"

Because we enjoy a challenge. Now what do you want to say?

"Well, honestly, I'm a bit curious. Few people in your organization demonstrate the hatred towards me that you do. Why is that?"

You're familiar with the incident on Savara, right?

"Ah, yes... I seem to recall something about an asteroid drifting into the planet's gravity well and crashing on the main city."

It didn't fall. It was folded into the planet.

"Goodness! I never would've guessed it was malicious! How does that connect me and you?"

Simple. The asteroid was dropped using a miniature fold generator. Not the standard booster used for mecha folds either, though that was your design too. You're the only person alive to understand fold technology enough to miniaturize it, so you are, naturally, the first suspect. Furthermore, orbital satellites show you appearing on the surface shortly afterwards.

"Yes, well... there were indications of protoculture ruins, and I didn't want to be disturbed during my research. That stil doesn't explain the unique hatred you show."

You killed a planet of 4 million people. Is that enough for you?"Hey! I only killed 3.8 million! The other two-hundred k lived! And the deaths are far less if we don't score depression-related suicides and secondary injuries such as smoke inhalation. I MAYBE killed two mill-"SHUT UP! *Jaybee clenches his fist*I was born on Savara. I was on Earth in the UNS academy when the asteroid hit, but my family wasn't.

"I see."*Doctor Rodriguez shrugs his jacket off. A line drops from his right shoulder and across his chest. Above the line is mostly flesh, below it is mostly metal.*"So you take it a bit personal, then?"

Damn right I do.

"Now, look. You can't catch me. Attack me, and I vanish. I could run off right now and disappear again. But really, we have more important things to worry about."*The doctor guestores vaguely towards the sky*"As Admilra Kridanik said, it's time to put aside our differences and fight as allies against the Balmarians. Truce?"*The doctor holds his right hand out. Jaybee looks at it suspiciously for a moment, then extends his own.*

Deal. So, are we doing the handshake from 10 feet? Because I can't reach that far.*Jaybee steps forward. The doctor follows.*

"I really didn't think you'd give in this easily."*Hands meet, the doctor grins as an electrical charge builds in his palm, the look shifting to amazement as it dies back down.*I didn't give in, doctor. *Firewalls and attack viruses start clashing across the data link as both men fight for control*"Lay off, or I fold. "Yeah right. I'm touching you, that personal fold generator will take me along with you. Speaking of which...*Jaybee clenches his left hand, and slams it into the doctor's metallic ribcage. Sparks flash from his knuckles as they impact.*I've gotten enough out of your system to know where to strike.*A second punch bursts through. A moment later, the fist comes out wrapped around a device roughly the size of a large grapefruit.*

"GIVE THAT BACK! GIVE IT BACK! "

*Jaybee breaks the "handshake" as the doctor regains control of his hand's stunner, flips back about five feet, and throws the contents of his hand onto the sidewalk. A malicious smile crosses his face as the device shatters.*

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU JUST DID?!?!?!"

Yup. Smashed the only man-portable fold generator in existence. It's a small price to pay.

*Jaybee gestures forward as the doctor steps towards him with rage in his eyes.*

You wanna fight? Man to man? You can still run... oh, wait...

*The doctor screams and rushes at Jaybee*

All right, it's time for a therapeutic beatdOOF!

*Jaybee falls back as a blow lands on his chest*When did you learn to fight?

*The doctor screams wordlessly as Jaybee adopts a combat stance*

Right, okay...

Let's do this.

*The two begin fighting. Sparks fly as stunner units augment punches with electrical discharges. Jaybee dodges excessively to protect his flesh from the doctor's metallic fists. The combat rapidly wanders around the park amid jumps, flips, and kicks.*Sheesh... I thought that tin can of yours was geared towards science."You wouldn't be the first to underestimate me, and you won't be the last**Jaybee lands a blow square on the doctor's chest, damaging the plating and revealing a glowing orange stone underneath*Jupiros! So THAT'S how you powered that thing!"What did you THINK I used? Fairy dust?!?!" The few people in the park rapidly take note of the violent and flashy fight and call the police. A team arrives as Jaybee executes a footsweep and plants the doctor face-first on the ground*

Cop A: "FREEZE!"*Jaybee kneels on Rodriguez's back, holds the man's arms in his left hand, and fishes his wallet out with his right, then flips it to the officer.*UNSpacey operative. Lieutenant Jaybee McQuade. I'm taking this man into custody."UNS doesn't have any authority here!"They do where interstellar security is concerned. This man is guilty of numerous attacks to colony worlds, including the Savara and Gryffon incidents."We'll be the judge of that. Let him up. NOW."No, you WON'T be the judge of that. Check my ID. Then stick it in your comm, open a channel to Admiral Kridanik, and ask HIM whether a lieutenant McQuade has the authority to apprehend a doctor Edmund Rodriguez on multiple charges of planetary endangerment, including but not limited to the complete destruction of Savara and Gryffon. THEN we'll see who judges what.

If you want to keep playing tough guy, then YOU get to explain to your boss why there's an angry un-micronized zentradi war hero at the door berating him for letting the most-wanted man in the known galaxy go free. Because he WILL escape.

A: ALL RIGHT!*A sticks the ID in his comm unit, accesses the card's memory, and opens a channel*"Hello, Admiral Kridanik.This is the Lovell City police. ... Yes, I know, I'm sorry to bother you. ... We've got a guy down here claiming to be a UNS agent. He's just finished assaulting a man, and he's insisting it's official UNS business.I'm sorry for wasting your time, but his ID's legit, so we have to ask. Do you know a lieutenant Jaybee, and is he currently engaged in activities against an Edmund Rodriguez? ... Yes. .... Yes. ... Okay, I understand. ... Roger. ... I apologize again for bothering you."*Cop A clicks the comm unit off.*"Apparently he's on the level. And while we were talking, Kridanik got the precinct on the comm. We're to supply an armed escort back to the dock where the UNS Focker is moored. Lieutenant Jaybee *the cop spits the words* is to be in charge of us until the airlock cycles, at which point the Focker's security team will take over."Thank you. Your courtesy knows no bounds. Can I have my wallet back?*Jaybee stuffs it back into his pocket, then drags Dr. Rodriguez to his feet.*

All right, gentlemen. Keep your guns trained on this man at all times. If it even LOOKS like he's about to get free, shoot him. In the head.

Focker, this is Jaybee. I have target 17 in custody, and am returning to the ship. Please have a security team standing by at airlock 1.

*Derek casually drinks a soda as he watches the security team go by, fully armed and ready for combat*

Well, that looks fun. I wonder if I should join in....

*At this point, a small yawn draws his attention to the corner of his visor, as two small hands rise up from the bottom of the screen, stretching. A second later, Fuyume pops her head up and rests her arms on the bottom of the screen like it's a counter*

"Ohayo, Derek-sama!"

Good morning, Fuyume. Sleep well?

"Uh huh! That wierd wave thingie put me right out, and I had a really nice dream, too!"

Oh yeah? Tell me about it while we go find an empty comm. I just remembered something I needed to check up on.

"Okay! Well, it started with me and Alex-chan playing on some swings, and I had a body, and then, there were these clouds that she said looked like all of her old friends, and then, I saw one that looked like Fei-chan, and then...."

dragonmasterjb0: Apparently, in the new series, Lina is arrested at one point on charges of being Lina Inverse.

The rest of the party, in typical Slayers fashion, gives a reaction to the effect of "Sounds reasonable."

Oh, right... hold on a second. Before I forget...*Jaybee places a hand on the doctor's chest, pulls back a panel, and removes the chunk of Jupiros*"HEY!"What, you expect us to trust you with this? Besides, most of your body is powered by more conventional sources. "YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!"Sure I do. The airlock has a full sensor suite."I hate you. I really do hate you."Good.

*Finding an empty comm area, Derek casually sits down and starts it up*

Fuyume: And then, the unicorn princess said...

Derek: Hey Fuyume-chan, do you think you can get us a clear line to BW-004?

Fuyume: Huh? Oh, okay! One call to Ha-chan, coming right up!

Derek: Well, that confirmed it for me, right there. Oh, and can you do me a favor?

Fuyume: Whatcha need, Derek-sama?

Derek: Ha-chan and I are probably going to get into a long discussion, once we get the call through. Can you be a good girl and only say hello and goodbye to her?

Fuyume: Hmm...*Nods and smiles* Okay! I'll be a good girl!

Derek: Glad to hear it.

*Fuyume ducks down off the side of the visor as a link is established. A minute or so later, the call goes through, and the person on the other end picks up.*

Haruka: Well, well. Didn't expect something like this. It's not like you to call long distance, Captain.

Derek: I've been doing a lot of things out of my usual rut lately, Haruka. Or I should say, BW-004.

Haruka: *Calmly raises an eyebrow at the remark* Pulling out the old ID code, Captain? Either you're feeling nostalgic, or you didn't just call to see if I could mail order you a drink.

Derek: That second one is closer. I've got a question that needed answering, so I figured the best person to turn to was my old Intel officer.

Fuyume: *Starts to climb back up onto the visor screen, and smiles and waves* Hi, Ha-chan!

Haruka: *Stops for a second as she spots the AI girl* Ah.....I see....

Derek: Yeah. Not that I'm angry or anything, but I felt the need to find out who told Alexis where to find me.

Haruka: *Shrugs* Well, you obviously weren't going to tell her yourself. You disappeared without a trace for two years, Derek. Not a single word to any of us after what happened. Honestly, you're lucky I didn't just go ahead and slug you that day you first walked into my bar.

Derek: I probably would have deserved it, I'll admit. Have you told any of the others?

Haruka: Not yet. I haven't heard from Kanz in over a year, and good luck trying to get ahold of Seiya. She's working on another one of her "projects". Alexis was the only one I was keeping anything even remotely close to regular contact with, seeing as how, you know, you and Rena and--

Derek: Yeah, I get the idea.

Haruka: And even now, you're still running away. You can't even stand to hear his name.

Derek: I don't deserve to. And the less I have to think about it, the better.

Haruka: If you don't face it down, Rena's going to go ahead and kill you one of these days!

Derek: And I'll face that when it happens. Until then, I have more important things to worry about besides my past. For example, this Balmar Empire thing. Heard anything about that?

Haruka: Since the Galaxy Network went down and effectively made this all solely our problem to deal with, it's been nuts. All the remaining military networks I could access from here have been doing into major lockdowns. Couldn't figure out where a Ball was going if I watched it crash into the residential area across town, at this point.

Derek: That must be murder on an information broker's business.

Haruka: Like you'd know, Mr. I-Cash-My-Paychecks-With-Lead. Money's never been a problem, you know that. Not with the kind of salary you were paying. But I'll admit, not having any actual info to sell is definately not helping me any.

Derek: Well, if you feel like losing a few customers, I've got some fake info you might want to let out there.

Haruka: You're getting cryptic, Captain. You know I don't like that any more than you do.

Derek: You and I both know that, even when faced with complete and utter extinction, there are always gonna be assholes out there who think they can come out on top by doing their own thing and being assholes. I think THEY'RE planning do to just that.

Haruka: You're kidding. They're actually doing that up there?

Derek: It wouldn't surprise me in the least to find out that Dark Moon is under the payroll of one of the groups the AGGF has been fighting up to this point. Kanz's old whipping boy Garaz showed up the other day, looking for a fight. Not only that, but they damn near blew me up inside a stolen mobile suit the other day, with a fake message supposedly signed by Rena. As it was, 'Vaun spent a few days in Medical with hearing loss.

Haruka: And knowing the grudge that they have against us, you think a little thing like Ragnarok isn't going to make them want to play nice and get along with everybody. More than that, you figure they're probably gonna try pulling something pretty soon, either by their own initiative and the simple fact that they hate your guts, or because whoever they're working for doesn't want to see you guys succeed, potentially because it would make the AGGF look a little better in the eyes of the people, and maybe even for the simple fact that, yet again, whoever's hiring them just hates you guys and wants you dead.

Derek: That pretty much sums it up, yeah.

Haruka: Alright, I'm listening. What do you have in mind?

Derek: Start spreading some false info through your usual channels. Say we got like, thirty or fourty ships at our disposal so far, and that our plan is to launch from the moon at high speed for the White Star at exactly the last day of the deadline and stuff. I trust you to make things sound convincing.

Haruka: If the wrong people get word of this and figure out that I'm just being your rumor mill, I could be in a lot of trouble. I could still be in hot water if it ever got out that I was the one who helped the AGGF "conquer" Kyris.

Derek: If that happens, you know how to call me, and I know how to break out of prison. You'd be fine.

Haruka: *Smirks a little* You sound sure of yourself. Is this what the famed head of Intelligence in the AGGF is all about?

Derek: The AGGF wouldn't be rescuing you. Just a psycho brother who doesn't want to see part of his family rotting away in a jail cell. I wouldn't even need a giant robot, either. I'd just bring the Hellfire.

Haruka: I'm surprised you still have that. Wasn't the ammunition formula made illegal recently?

Derek: A little thing like the law has never stopped me.

Haruka: Hah! You really haven't changed one bit. Listen, I gotta go, it's almost time for me to open. You two take care of yourselves, alright?

Derek: We will. I'll call you again soon, Haruka.

Fuyume: Sayonara, Ha-chan!

*With that, the connection shuts off. As casually as he sat down, Derek stands up and starts on his way out.*

Fuyume: Where to now, Derek-sama?

Derek: I think we oughta go see how Masaki's doing...

dragonmasterjb0: Apparently, in the new series, Lina is arrested at one point on charges of being Lina Inverse.

The rest of the party, in typical Slayers fashion, gives a reaction to the effect of "Sounds reasonable."

All right, I'll begin working on upgrading Justice to Infinity Justice tomohow at Mao while we repair the damage...after that I am scheduled on Dr. Random's slave shifts untill we depart...uggh...whatever she comes that may blow up, she will make a point of ME beign the test pilot...at least no more sewer duty...

Sorry I've been gone for so long; the doctors finally let me out after extensive testing to make sure the T-Link System wouldn't make my head explode. I hear that a lot's been going down lately - something about the Balmar? I don't intend to let Major Plisken's second cousin thrice removed or whoever turn our most powerful weapon into scrap.

we left Bask with Leader, got a new Archangel class ship called the Metatron and then destroyed a project to take over La Gais (Derek caught himself a Valsion Kai which nearly blew up on him)

then we met up with Shara (the Meltradi that tried to kill Jaybee) and the Focker (a large carrier of some class I can never remember) went to Jupiter and used Za Powa to defeat someone trying to create powered up Big Zam Kais.

he (Dr. Rodriguez) escaped but we destroyed the base and headed back to Earth; then the Balmarians appeared and demanded our surrender (in 26 days)

so we headed for Mao and met alot of Megalots along the way (at which time i received six GX-bits and we met up with my old friend Talis.

Talis: pleased to meet you. and what do you pilot?

careful or she'll buy your mech out from under you

moving on, Derek then met with a pink robot which (after a good cry) introduced it self as Fuyume.

now heres where things get real interesting; Max and Millia showed up out of the blue and revealed that they were going to help us. Then Millia challenged Jaybee to a sim fight and Shara joined in, Jaybee won but then he locked half of us in a room with two angry Meltradi.

After that Quattro and Milliardo showed up and Jaybee ran. later Jaybee ran into Rodriguez and caught him (he's currently busy with Shara and a dozen Haros of Doom) and I gave doc a modified Fenrir (sorry Andrew it's Doc's personal unit but I'm fitting the Weltall with a GSS)

thats mostly it (I think)

If you are a man you'll do what's important before you grieve -Captain Harlock